Status of Children in Tanzania - 2012 - Tanzania Education Network ...

Call for Action
6.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion
In Tanzania, children constitute more than 50% of the total population. However, resources committed to
protect them are quite in significant. Findings revealed that the onset of HIV/AIDS has made more than 3
million children in Tanzania to be orphans. This kind of life style has made children to be under alternative care
from either the traditional family safety net like grandparents, unties, nephews, sisters or relatives. The
substitute parental care has been affected by poverty and poor living conditions, which subject children and
target group to be more vulnerable to suffering. It is in line with the previously mentioned where children from
the same family have resorted to start child headed household, where siblings care for each other. In this style
of caring children, become more vulnerable to other type of abuse and violation of children rights without
protection. Noted that some are being discriminated depending upon the status of the parent. If parents died
from HIV/AIDS, children are stigmatized and discriminated at school, church and playground.
The study concludes that Tanzania is experiencing high degree of violation of children rights. Some of the
rights noted to be violated in Tanzania include sexual, physical and emotional abuse, mostly practised in
Musoma, Mwanza, Kagera, Mtwara, Kigoma, Pemba and Zanzibar. Some of the identified perpetrators for
child abuse include relative for boys 14.1%, girls 7.1%,, neighbours boys 16.6%, girls 32.2%, Authority figure
boys 2.8%, girls 14.7%, Friends/classmate boys 10.3%, girls 8.6%, strangers girl 32%, boys 25%, dating
partner, girls 24.7% boys 47.9%. Impliedly, child abuse among girl child is very high as compared to boys but
also even boys are not safe from abuse. Neighbour who were traditionally protectors of children have now
turned leading abusers of children. The neighbourhood is no longer a playing and socializing haven for
children. Basing on the findings, shocking children rights violated in Tanzania includes killing of albinos, family
genital mutilation among girls and high dropout rates at school particularly girls. Notable also was lack of
access to education among disabled children their being kept in solitary. Tanzania situation also shows that
there is rampant child labour where 20% of all children are engaged in child labour and this occurs both in rural
and urban area. Child labour expose children to different hazards, which denies children their fundamental
rights such access to education, health protection and freedom of expression. Besides there are some specific
factors which subjects children to be more vulnerable, these include, income poverty, child poverty, cultural
factors, environmental factors and social factors. All these deprives children some basic rights as enshrined in
the CRC.
The study also concludes that water is a right which majority of children are deprived, or in the process of
accessing it they easily be abused and their rights grossly be violated. Availability of food is also an issue
which children are denied or cannot get adequate food which posses all nutrients. This lack denies children
right for survival and growth at other incidence contribute to lower education performance, e.g. case of Lindi,
Iramba, Same, Mtwara and Coast.
In Tanzania the key players who are duty bearers entrusted with the task of protecting children include sectoral
ministries like Ministry of Healthy and Social Welfare, Ministry of Community Development Gender and
Children, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Regional
Administration and Local Government. These national actors hold the responsibility for developing laws and
regulations to protect the child. These are charged with the responsibility of providing funding to ensure
realization of children rights. Besides, national actors there are also variety of NGOs operating at national,
regional and community levels in ensure that children rights are realized. NGOs have done a commendable
job for identifying cases of children rights violation and coming to the forefront to lobby, advocate and
propagating for promotion of children rights.
The major causes of child rights violation in Tanzania include poverty, low level of understanding on children
rights, witchcraft beliefs and ignorance. Additionally lack of a clear system where culprits who violates children
rights can be sent to the court of law and sentenced immediately. Further, there is also lack of a national
organisation, which can champion issues of children rights from national to grass root levels. As it appears in
Tanzania there is many players talking about protecting children‟s rights but underlying interest is to further
their economical gains. In that regard there is a need to change the approach of addressing children right
issues by having an organ like children council that might have structures from national to grass root level to
work for the interest of the child and putting the child first.
Recommendations
Basing on the findings recommended that,
Child social protection
SOS Children‟s Villages can consider designing a model of small family care options at Iramba and
through that programme assist in promoting access to education and protection of children as well as
conducting FSP outreach program to empower vulnerable families.
SOS can design programme on targeted districts like Iramba, Unguja, Mtwara and Mara to
scale up efforts to eliminate worst forms of child labour targeting households with abused or
orphans children.
34 / 55 Tanzania-CRSA-REPORT-2012
A loving home for every child